Kings of Wessex Aethelberht Silver Penny 858-865AD Canterbury

Kings of Wessex Aethelberht Silver Penny 858-865AD Canterbury

20x21mm, 0.97g, S1053

some edge loss, full legends and a pleasing portrait.

Æthelberht (860-865) – The third son of Æthelwulf, much like his father, Æthelberht began his royal career as the sub-king of Kent under his brother Æthelbald. Numismatic evidence suggests that he enjoyed a great deal of independence – striking coins in his own name, which perhaps infers a more equal relationship with his older brother. Unlike his father and brothers, Æthelberht never appointed his own sub-kings – and during his rule Wessex was governed as a single entity for the first time in some thirty years.